On her first day of class back in 1973, at a residential school near Williams Lake, Phyllis Webstad was stripped of a brand new orange shirt her grandmother bought her.
Fast forward 30 years, and her telling of that story touched so many people, that it sparked the formation of the Orange Shirt Day.
That effort has since spread to communities across the country, carrying with it the theme that “every child matters.”
While many Langley schools host Orange Shirt Day events, Langley will also have a public Orange Shirt Day on Saturday.
The Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society is hosting the third annual open house at the Douglas Park Recreation Centre, from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
“We will be welcoming the community to see what we will be doing and upcoming events this year. There will be children’s activities, bannock, snacks, and sharing of stories,” organizers noted.
“Please join us to recognize residential school survivors, and those who did not come home.”
Orange shirts will be available for sale, with a number of different designs, including some created by Langley students.